General Earth Science Curriculum Guide
Harrisonburg High School
2013
Pacing Guide Overview
2
Units:
Unit 1: Introduction
3
Unit 2: Maps and Models
5
Unit 3: Astronomy
7
Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks
10
Unit 5: Natural Resources
12
Unit 6: Plate Tectonics
14
Unit 7: Surface Processes and Groundwater
16
Unit 8: Meteorology
18
Unit 9: Oceanography
21
Unit 10: Historical Geology
24
Unit 11: Virginia Geology
26
Edited Summer 2013 by E.Sutliff, N. Hissong
1
General Earth Science Pacing Guide Overvieiw
Unit
1
2
3
Topic
Matching SOL
ES.1 & ES.2
match all units
Blocks
Allowed
Introduction
ES.1, ES.2
4
Maps and Models
ES.1
5
Astronomy
ES.3, ES.13
12
1st Benchmark Exam covering Units 1-3
4
5
6
7
Minerals and Rocks
ES.4, ES.5
8
Natural Resources
ES.6
4
Plate Tectonics
ES.7
10
Surface Processes
and Groundwater
ES.7, ES.8
10
2nd Benchmark Exam covering Units 4-7
8
9
10
11
Meteorology
ES.11, ES.12
8
Oceanography
ES.10
3
Historical Geology
ES.9
5
Virginia Geology
ES.5, ES.6,
ES.7, ES.8,
ES.9
2
3rd Benchmark Exam—all content will be tested
SOL Review
SOL Testing,
Remediation,
Retesting
4
15
*71 days have been allotted for content teaching, with another 4 days budgeted for SOL review. The 15 days at the end of the
semester are to be used to for SOL testing, SOL remediation, and retesting as necessary. These final 15 days can also include
additional units, projects and exams. A final exam is required for Honors Earth Science.
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Unit 1
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Materials Needed
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Introduction to Earth Science
ES.1, ES.2
5 blocks
 Density Measurement
 Graphing
 Making Objective Observations
 Safety in the Science Lab
 Balances
 Metric Rules
 Calculators
 Graduated Cylinders
 Beakers
 Density sets
Before this unit, students should understand…
 making a graph in two variables
 safe habits in the lab
Students will understand…
 the ways of thinking and acting that are inherent to the
practice of science
 that scientists make hypotheses based on existing knowledge
and objective observations, including measurements, and test
their hypotheses with experiments
 scientific laws describe patterns and relationships, which are
observed facts
 scientific theories are best efforts to explain observations, have
been rigorously tested and validated by repeated experiments,
but can be modified by new evidence
 there are a variety of tools (including balance and graduated
cylinder) used to make measurements, that they all have limits
to precision and accuracy, and the metric system is used for
most scientific study
 that repeated trials are required to be certain of experimental
outcome
 density is an intensive physical property relating the mass to
unit volume ratio of different substances
 data and information may be shared and interpreted using
charts, tables, and graphs
 safety is the most important part of the lab experience, and we
all must be familiar with and follow safe practices and
procedures
observation
volume
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Cross references
mass
density
balance
graduated cylinder
scientific law
hypothesis
scientific theory
evidence
experiment/experimental
trial
variable
data
information
graph
table
chart
analyze/analysis
logic
conclusion
prediction
testable
inference
Maps Unit (scale, latitude and longitude, topographic maps,
profiles)
All subsequent units will build on these concepts and skills.
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Unit 2
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Materials Needed
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Maps and Models
ES.1
5 Blocks
 Plotting Latitude & Longitude
 Map and model reading
 Map Scale
 Making a Topographic map
 Making topographic profiles
 Directional Compasses
 Drafting Compasses
 Globes
 Road maps
 Topographic Maps
 7.5 minute series quadrangle
 Raised relief maps, bathymetric maps, false color images,
globes, physiographic maps,
 GPS receivers
Before this unit, students should understand…
 measurements
 compass directions, reading
 horizontal/vertical
Students will understand…
 how maps and globes are read and interpreted (landforms,
water features, map scale, distances, and elevation)
 grid systems of latitude and Longitude
 topographic map skills (constructing profiles)
 pros and cons of different projections
models
map
globe
Equator
Prime Meridian
latitude
longitude
scale
landform
benchmark
distortion
topography
topographic map
contour line
contour interval
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Cross references
slope
elevation
topographic profile
Global Positioning System
satellite imagery
Mercator projection
Robinson projection
Other projection types (conic, polar)
Ocean Floor Topography
Geologic Features
Changes in Geologic time
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Unit 3
Matching SOL's
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Astronomy
ES.3, ES.13
12 blocks
 Modeling eclipses
 Modeling moon phases
 Scale model of moon/earth/sun system
 Scale model of solar system
 How Big/How Far/ How Old?
 Circumpolar star modeling
 Rotation vs Revolution
 Compare atmopsheres of all eight planets
 Planet line-up (planet comparison)
 Plotting and reading the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
Materials needed
 Lamp/Light Source
 Insolation model
 Balls, 4:1 diameter ratio; Earth and Moon Globes, to scale
 Measuring tape (at least 40 feet long)
 Adding tape
 Hand lenses or simple telescope/ binoculars
 Orrery (Mechanical Model of Earth/Moon/Sun system
 Star charts for Honors
Prerequisites
Key
Understanding
Before this unit, students should understand…
 shape and size of Planet Earth
 gravity, inertia, and orbits
 characteristics of electromagnetic radiation
 axial tilt of Earth’s rotation
Students will understand…
 the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun and how they move
through space
 the effects of the movement of Earth, Moon and Sun; seasons,
tides, eclipses
 characteristics of the sun, planets (terrestrial and gas giant),
moons, comets, meteors, and asteroids, and how they all
travel
 characteristics of the planets atmospheres
 the history and contributions of space explorations and the
Hubble Telescope
 observed evidence for the Nebular Hypothesis of solar system
formation
 the sun as a star; structure, processes, variations and their
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Vocabulary
effects on Earth
 evidence which supports the Big Bang theory and its
implications.
 the evolution and life cycles of stars, and how to interpret an
H-R diagram
 the structure and development of star systems and galaxies.
orbit
revolution
rotation
seasons
solstice
equinox
moon
satellite
telescope
phase
tide
eclipse (lunar, solar)
aphelion/apogee
perihelion/perigee
planet
ellipse/elliptical
solar nebula theory
gas giant
terrestrial
dwarf planet
asteroid, asteroid belt
meteor/meteorite/meteoroid
comet
star (main sequence, blue giant, red giant, neutron star, dwarf,
black hole)
constellation
electromagnetic radiation/spectrum
fusion
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
absolute magnitude
apparent magnitude
nebula
sun layers (core, convective zone, radiative zone, chromosphere,
photosphere, corona)
solar flare
solar prominence
universe
big bang theory
doppler effect (red shift, blue shift)
galaxy (spiral, elliptical, irregular)
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Cross references
interstellar
Milky Way
Kuiper belt
light-year
Astrononical Unit (AU)
Hubble Telescope
Seasons (axial tilt) with climate
Tides
Rocks and Minerals ie. Lunar rocks, meteorites
Erosion, or lack thereof
Atmosphere, Weather and Climate, possible origins of water,
atmospheric evolution
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Unit 4
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab materials
Minerals and Rocks
ES.4, ES.5
8 blocks
 Test and identify the physical properties of minerals
 Identify common rock forming and ore minerals
 Classify and identify rocks by their mineral content and textures
 Balances
 Graduated cylinders
 Streak plates
 Glass plates
 Magnets
 Hand lens
 Copper pennies
 Steel file
 Hydrochloric acid
 UV Lamp
 Goggles (acid goggles and UV goggles)
 Minerals to include: quartz, feldspar, calcite (to include opticalIceland spar), mica, pyrite, magnetite, hematite, galena,
graphite, sulfur, and fluorescent minerals
 Rocks to include: pumice, obsidian, basalt, granite, sandstone,
conglomerate, shale, limestone, rock salt, slate, schist, gneiss,
marble, quartzite
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Before this unit, students should understand…
 that atoms are the building blocks of matter
 how to recognize elements present in a chemical formula
 density and measurements
Students will understand…
 the difference between minerals and rocks; that most rocks
are made of one or more minerals
 the major elements found in Earth’s crust are oxygen, silicon,
aluminum, iron; and the most common minerals are silicates,
oxides, and carbonates
 how to recognize major rock-forming minerals and ore
minerals
 that minerals and their uses are important to human wealth
and welfare
 how to observe and test the physical properties of minerals
 that rocks are classified by how they were formed
 that rocks can be identified by their mineral content and
texture
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 how to classify rocks as igneous intrusive or extrusive,
Vocabulary
Cross references
sedimentary clastic or non clastic, and metamorphic foliated or
non foliated.
 that the processes of the rock cycle form and recycle Earth
materials over time
mineral
crystal
inorganic/organic
silicate
carbonate
oxide
hardness
streak
luster
cleavage
fracture
fluorescence
rock
rock cycle
texture
igneous rock
crystallization
intrusive
magma
extrusive
lava
sedimentary rock
clastic/nonclastic
fossil
metamorphic rock
foliated/nonfoliated
homogenous texture
Density
Natural resources
Plate tectonics
Surface processes
Oceanography
Geologic time
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Unit 5
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab Materials
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Natural Resources
ES. 6
4 blocks
 What resources do you use?
 Carbon Footprint calculation
 Mapping Virgina Resources
--VA mineral resource maps and samples
 Specimens and examples; coal, wallboard, pipes, make-up, etc.
Before this unit, students should understand…
 rocks and minerals unit
Students will understand…
 natural resources are limited. They are either renewable or
nonrenewable
 advantages and disadvantages of using energy sources
 renewable and nonrenewable sources support the modern
living standard
 extraction and use of resources has an environmental cost as
well as economic benefits
 renewable resources include water, vegetation, sunlight (air).
 nonrenewable resources include coal, oil, minerals (natural
gas)
 Virginia has many natural resources, including coal, crushed
stone, silica, zirconium, uranium, kyanite, and titanium.
 the use of clean water is renewable, but easily polluted
 Past, present and future sources of resources and energy in
Virginia.
natural resources
renewable
nonrenewable
fossil fuels
natural gas
hydrofracking
petroleum
coal
strip-mining
radioactivity
uranium
nuclear reactor
fission
fusion
solar power
photovoltaic cells
wind energy
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Cross references
hydroelectric power
tidal energy
geothermal energy
biofuels/biomass
generator
turbine
sustainability
carbon footprint
conservation
greenhouse gas/effect
Coal
Geologic History
Biologic and Atmospheric changes
Fusion
Pollution
Runoff
Meteorology; wind, greenhouse effect
Carbon cycle
Karst
Geysers, igneous bodies
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Unit 6
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Plate Tectonics
ES.7
10 Blocks
 Reconstruction Pangaea
 Sea Floor Spreading
 Rock Densities
 Earthquake location plotting
 Epicenter Location
 “Geoblox” (plate boundary models)
 Folding/faulting
Materials Needed
 Continental & Oceanic rock samples
 Wooden fault models
 Foam folding models
 Visuals of plate boundaries and geologic features
Prerequisite
Before this unit, students should understand…
 rocks and minerals unit
 density
 maps and models
Students will understand…
 Earth’s internal structure and proof
 properties of lithospheric crusts
 evidence of plate tectonics
 continental drift
 tectonic boundaries
 geologic processes (volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain
building)
 geologic features
 tectonic activity in North America including Hawaii, San
Andreas, Mt. St. Helens, Applachian Mountains
 tectonic volcanic/geothermal activity worldwide including
Himalayas, Deccan Traps, Iceland, Tambora, and Yellowstone
 current and an ancient plate boundaries of Japan, California,
New Madrid, Missouri, Appalachian system, Iceland, and Tonga
inner core
outer core
mantle
asthenosphere
crust
lithosphere
convection current
boundaries [convergent (collision/subduction), divergent,
transform]
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
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Cross references
continental drift
Pangaea
plate tectonics
deep sea trench
seafloor spreading
mid-ocean ridge
rifting
Ring of Fire
earthquake
earthquake zone
epicenter
focus
seismic waves (p, s, surface)
temblor
tsunami
fault (normal, reverse, thrust, strike/slip)
volcanic eruptions
viscosity
lava
magma
flood lavas
volcanic features
volcanic island arc
volcano types (shield, cinder cone, fissure,
stratovolcano/composite)
hot spot
igneous intrusion
mountain chain
mountains (folded, fault-block, dome, volcanic)
physiographic
magnetic field
Virginia Geology
Sea Floor Geologic Processes & Topography
Earth’s Atmosphere/Climate changes due to Geologic Activity
Relative and Absolute Rock dating
Geologic time scale
Fossil evidence
Rock Cycle
Terrestrial Planets
“Moon” formation, composition, geologic activity
Composition of planets interiors
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Unit 7
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab materials
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Surface Processes and Groundwater
ES.7, ES.8
10 blocks
 Effects on chemical weathering rates
 Soil profile investigation
 pH
 Mapping watersheds
 Groundwater model
 River dynamics
 Thermometers
 Beakers/cups
 Stopwatches
 Alka-Seltzer tablets
 pH paper
 Watershed map of Virginia
 Groundwater model
 Food coloring
 Stream table
 Sediments/sand
 Buckets
 Sediment traps
Before this unit, students should understand…
 rocks and minerals
Students will understand…
 how water, wind and ice alter Earth’s landscape through the
processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition
 how soil is formed from the weathering of rocks and organic
activity
 karst topography, its formation from carbonate rocks, and
features like caves and sinkholes
 the hydrologic cycle and freshwater sources
 groundwater zones
 how humans depend on and can affect fresh water supplies
 watersheds of Virginia (Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, North
Carolina sounds)
 location of deposition and landforms created
weathering (chemical and physical/mechanical)
erosion
glacier
deposition
soil
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Cross references
groundwater
zone of saturation
zone of aeration/unsaturated
water table
aquifer
permeable
impermeable
hydrologic cycle
evaporation
condensation
precipitation
runoff
watershed
karst
cave
sinkhole
delta
alluvial fan
Rocks and minerals
Mars topography
Meteorological events
Rock cycle
Climate change
Geologic time
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Unit 8
Matching SOL's
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab Materials
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Meteorology
ES.11, ES.12
8 blocks
 Air Pressure Effects (crush soda can)
 Examining Pressure and Temperature data vs. Altitude, inferring
presence of layers
 Heat Transfer Mechanisms (Radiation, Convection, Conduction)
and heating of surface materials
 Measuring properties of Air –temperature, determination of dew
point, estimating wind speed and direction, identifying clouds
 Plotting weather data on a map and making predictions
 Maintaining and interpreting a weather log
 Hurricane Tracking (Plot paths, lat/long)
 Hot Plate, tongs, aluminum can
 Dark Earth materials and Light Earth materials, thermometers
 Candle Carousel/radiometer
 Barometer/ Barograph
 Sling Psychrometer
 Weather Station
Before this unit, students should understand…
 graphing
 recording data
 understanding of latitude
 Photosynthesis
 oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide gases
 feedback mechanisms
Students will understand…
 the structure (layers) and composition of Earth’s atmosphere
 how the atmosphere has changed over time
 how natural processes and human interactions influence and
alter atmospheric conditions
 how energy from the sun drives the weather engine
 how we measure the variable properties of the troposphere
that make up weather
 how to interpret station models and weather maps
 how weather patterns can be used to make predictions
 the causes and effects of severe storms – thunderstorms,
tornadoes, hurricanes
 the major factors which influence climate (ocean currents,
latitude, seasons, topography, proximity to water)
atmosphere (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
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thermosphere, ionosphere, exosphere)
pressure (air/barometric)
barometer
insolation
temperature
thermometer
photosynthesis
cyanobacteria
ozone
greenhouse/atmospheric effect
ultraviolet radiation
radiation
conduction
convection
albedo
global wind patterns
Coriolis effect
jet stream
doldrums
trade winds
prevailing westerlies
humidity (absolute/relative)
dew point
psychrometer
sea breeze
land breeze
condensation nucleii
cloud (stratus, cumulus, cirrus)
precipitation (rain-snow-hail-sleet..)
weather
isobar
isotherm
air mass
front (stationary, warm, cold, occluded)
cyclone
tornado
hurricane
condensation
evaporation
watch
warning
climate
climate zone
rain shadow
polar
tropical
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Cross references
temperate
Radiation, wavelength, etc, if part of Astronomy
Latitude
Earth’s Orbit and tilt
Ocean Currents and climate influence; el Niño
Natural resources-wind, solar
Natural disasters
Satellite imagery
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Unit 9
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab Materials
Prerequisite
knowledge
Key
Understanding
Oceanography
ES. 10
3 blocks
 Mapping surface currents
 Convection/water density model
 Calculate salinity from evaporated seawater
 Buoyancy Lab
 Graphing thermocline, halocline
 Estuary stratification demo (layering salt water)
 Graphing tides
 Seafloor topography (graphing seafloor features)
 Wave simulation
 Food coloring
 World maps
 Salt
 Bathymetric maps
 Clear container
 Hydrometer
 Graduated cylinder
 Wave tank
 Hair dryer
 Farmer’s Almanac
Before this unit, students should understand…
 plate tectonics
 convection
 meteorology unit
 erosion and deposition
 moon phases
Students will understand…
 chemical, biological and physical changes of oceans
 the importance of oceans as a source of food and mineral
resources
 sea level changes with climate change
 most surface waves are generated by the wind
 ocean current systems - convection
 upwelling
 tidal changes
 ocean resources are finite and that human activities affect
ocean resources
 algae is an important source of atmospheric oxygen
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 heat stored in oceans fuels weather systems and affects
Vocabulary
Cross references
climates
 sea floor topography
 the Chesapeake Bay is an important estuary
 sources of pollution affect the Chesapeake Bay
 human activities affect water quality of estuaries and oceans
abyssal plain
atoll
barrier reef
continental shelf, rise, slope, and margin
guyot
seamount
trenches
salinity
convection
Coriolis effect
currents
upwelling
El Niño
watershed
runoff
nutrients
pollutant/pollution
estuary
sedimentation
carbonates
algae
coral
Coriolis effect
El Niño / La Niña
convection
glaciers
ice caps
moon phases
density
magnetic reversals
tsunami
natural resources
climate and climate change
hurricane formation and tracking
global wind patterns
rock cycle; plate tectonics, erosion and deposition
historical geology
algae blooms and oxygen levels
point source and non point source pollutions
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Hydrothermal vents
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Unit 10
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Materials Needed
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Historical Geology
ES.9
5 Blocks
 Constructing a geologic time scale
 Mold & Cast formation
 Relative Dating Sequencing
 Absolute Dating Headsium Lab
 Fossil identification
 Fossil examples
 Headsium lab pennies and containers
 Visuals of rock cross sections
Before this unit, students should understand…
 rocks and minerals
 plate tectonics
Students will understand…
 the age of the earth is 4.6 billion years
 life forms become more complex over time
 geologic history and time scale of Earth is based on the rock
and fossil record
 how to use relative dating methods to establish geologic
sequencing
 how to identify igneous intrusions within cross sections
 absolute dating of rocks and fossils depends on radioactive
decay
 fossil types and formation
 Virginia has an extensive rock and fossil history
relative dating
superposition
cross-cutting relationships
igneous intrusions (dike, sill, batholith)
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
index fossil
paleontology
fossil
trace fossil
original remains
replaced remains/petrification/permineralization
mold
cast
geologic time scale [eons, era (Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic),
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Cross references
period, epochs]
evolution
extinct(ions) and mass extinctions
Sedimentary Rocks
Fossil Fuels
Plate Tectonics
Virginia Geology
Weathering and Erosion
Astronomy (Asteroid/Comet Impacts)
Atmospheric Evolution
Big Bang and Solar Nebula theories
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Unit 11
Matching SOL’s
Time Allowed
Labs/Activities
Lab materials
Prerequisite
Key
Understanding
Vocabulary
Virginia Geology
ES.5, ES.6, ES.7, ES.8, ES.9
2 blocks
 Map Virginia physiographic provinces, watersheds
 Virginia fossils
 Maps
 Fossils
Before this unit, students should understand…
 how to read a map
 formation of minerals and rocks
 plate tectonic processes
 weathering, erosion, and depositional processes
 natural resources
Students will understand…
 Virginia’s five physiographic provinces’
 topography
 rock types
 tectonic history
 province locations on a map
 the rock cycle as it relates to Virginia’s rocks
 Virginia’s natural resources
 how Virginia was shaped by geologic (tectonic, weathering,
erosion, and depositional) processes
 Virginia’s climate
 Virginia rivers and watersheds
 Virginia has an extensive rock and fossil history
 How fossil types in Virginia reveal the state’s geologic history
Coastal Plain
Piedmont
Blue Ridge
Valley and Ridge
Appalachian Plateau
Catoctin Greenstone
rock cycle
igneous rock
sedimentary rock
sediment
coal
fossil
metamorphic rock
natural resources
plate tectonics
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Cross references
continental collision
rifting
folding
faulting
subduction
volcanoes
weathering
erosion
karst
carbonate
caves
sinkholes
groundwater
salt-water intrusion
deposition
basin
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era
Natural resources
Plate tectonics
Surface processes
Oceanography
Geologic time
Edited Summer 2013 by E.Sutliff, N. Hissong
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