2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grade/Course Earth Science Time
Frame
3-4 days
Unit/SOLs





4-5 days

4-5 days

Revised 2005
Scientific Investigation
Measurements using SI
Calculating Area, Volume, Density
Experimental Design
Scientific method, variables, control
Safety Procedures
Three levels of scientific explanation
Hypothesis, Theory, Law
Chapter 2 Matter
Protons, electrons, neutrons, mass
number, atomic number, atoms,
compounds, molecules, mixtures,
periodic table, states of matter
Virginia Geology: 5 provinces,
renewable, nonrenewable resources,
ores, coal, major rock use in VA
Mineral Classification and Identification
5 characteristics of allminerals
Mohs Hardness Scale
mineral formation, crystal systems
mineral composition and groups
physical properties
mineral uses and resources
characteristics of gems and ores
Rock classification and identification
Interpret Rock Cycle Diagram with
emphasis on processes
Igneous Rocks:
Origin: cooling of magma with
emphasis on grain size
(phaneritic,aphanitic)
Classification: intrusive/extrusive
basaltic/granitic/andesitic
Metamorphic Rocks:
Origin: heat and pressure
Classification: foliated/nonfoliated
Sedimentary Rocks:
Origin: cementation, compaction,
precipitation
Classification: detrital/clastic,
chemical, organic
-
Grading Period
SOL
#
Strand
1,2,3 or 4*
Resources
Assessments
ES
1a-e
2a-e
1
Glencoe Chapter 1
Glencoe Study
Guide,
Reinforcement
Chapter Test
Area, Volume, Density
Lab (teacher made)
Safety Quiz
Vocabulary/Concepts
Quiz
ES
1a
2
Glencoe Chapter 2
Study Guide,
Reinforcement
Quiz,
Chapter Test
Semester
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written Curriculum)
** Virginia Geology should be taught throughout your
discussions of Geology.
ES
5a-b
7a,c,d
2
Glencoe Chapter 3
Study Guide,
Reinforcement
Earth Revealed
Video
Mineral Identification
lab (teacher made)
Quiz, Chapter Test
ES
6a-c
7a,b,d
2
Glencoe Chapter 4
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Earth Revealed
Videos
Rock Classification
Lab (teacher made)
Quiz, Chapter Test
Glencoe Chapter 5,
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
USGS and Virginia
Naturally
supplement
material
1
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
3-4 days
Unit/SOLs

Grading Period
SOL
#
Landforms
Types: Plains, Plateaus, Mountains
Latitude and Longitude
Time Zones/International Date Line
Map Projections: Mercator,
Robinson, Conic
Topographic Maps
Map Legends and Scales
Rules for contour lines
Index contours and contour intervals
Construct topographic profiles
ES
1c
2e
3a-d
8b
2 days

Weathering and Soil
Mechanical vs. Chemical Weathering
Effects of climate on weathering
Soil Formation
Soil Profile
Soil Types
Soil loss prevention and land use
ES
8b,9a
4 days

Erosion
Sediment Characteristics
Gravity
mass movements
creep, slump, slides (rock, land,
mud)
Glaciers
continental vs. valley glaciers(alpine)
plucking (arete, horn, cirque)
evidence of glaciation
glacial deposits
Wind
abrasion and deflation
sand vs. dust storms
reducing wind erosion
deposition by wind: loess and dunes
ES
8b



Revised 2005
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
2
2
2
Resources
Assessments
Glencoe Chapter 6
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Earth Revealed
Video
Topographic Map lab
(teacher made),
Study guide,
Reinforcement, Quiz,
Chapter Test
Glencoe Chapter 7
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Earth Revealed
Video
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Weathering lab,
Quiz, Chapter Test,
Soil Permeability lab
Glencoe Chapters
7 and 8
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Earth Revealed
Videos
Worksheets
Quiz
Video quiz
Chapter Test
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written Curriculum)
2
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
4 Days
Unit/SOLs


3 days

Grading Period
SOL
#
Running Water and Erosion
Runoff and factors affecting it
Types of surface water erosion
River System Development
Stages of Stream Development
Deposition by surface water
Virginia waterways, Chesapeake Bay,
watersheds
Groundwater:
Permeable vs. Impermeable
Identification of Groundwater Zones
Zone of Aeration
Zone of Saturation
Water Table
Aquifer vs. Aquitard
Wells, springs, and geysers
Erosion and deposition by
groundwater: Karst
topography/sinkholes
Cave formation and structures
ES
9d,f
Plate Tectonics
Continental Drift, Pangaea, and
Rodinia -Clues serving as evidence
Seafloor spreading-Evidence
supporting
Theory of Plate Tectonics
Types of Plates (oceanic/continental)
3 types of plate boundaries
plate boundaries and resulting
features
Causes and Effects of Plate
Tectonics- Convection currents
ES
8a-c
ES
9b-e
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
2
Resources
Assessments
Glencoe Chapter 9
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Earth Revealed
Videos
Worksheets
Quiz
Stream Development
lab
Chapter Test
Glencoe Chapter
10
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Lab Manual,
Earth Revealed
Videos
Chapter Test
Quiz
Pangaea Lab,
Seafloor Spreading
Lab
Worksheets
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written Curriculum)
3
2
-
Revised 2005
3
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Fra
me
2-3
days
Unit/SOLs

2
days

3
days

Earthquakes
Causes and typical locations
3 types of faults (Normal, Reverse,
Strike-slip)
Types Seismic Waves (P,S, Surface)
Epicenter vs. Focus
Travel time curves of seismic waves
Locating the epicenter of
earthquake
Mapping earth’s internal structure
Earthquake intensity scales (Richter
vs. Mercalli)
Tsunamis
Volcanoes
Causes
Typical locations (divergent,
convergent plate boundaries, and
hot spots)
Geothermal energy
Types of eruptions and
determining factors
Magma composition (types)
Forms of volcanoes (shield,
composite, cinder cone)
Intrusive Igneous Rock Features
Fossils:
Importance & Types
Formation and necessary
conditions
Extinction of Dinosaurs
Relative Dating
Principles of superposition and
cross-cutting relationships
Three types of unconformities
Correlating Rock Layers
Revised 2005
Grading Period
SOL
#
Strand
1,2,3 or 4*
ES
1c,2e,
8a-c
2
Glencoe Chapter 11
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review, Lab
Manual
Earth Revealed Video
Chapter Test
Quiz
Glencoe Lab p.287
Finding the epicenter
of and earthquake lab
ES
6a
8 a,b
2
Glencoe Chapter 12
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Discovery School
Video,
Earth Revealed Video
Quiz,
Worksheets,
Chapter Test
ES
2b,c
6b
7a
10a-d
2
Glencoe Chapter 13
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Chapter Test
Quiz
Relative Dating lab,
Absolute Dating lab,
Worksheets
Resources
Assessments
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written Curriculum)
4
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grading Period
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
Unit/SOLs

Fossils (continued)
Absolute Dating
Calculating ages bases on half-lives
Parent and Daughter material
Common isotopes used in dating
Principle of Uniformitarianism
2-3 days

Geologic Time
Geologic Time Scale (eons to epochs)
Organic Evolution
Effects of Plate Tectonics on Earth’s
History
Extinction
Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic,
Cenozoic eras with major geologic and
biologic activities in each
3-4 days

Stars (Our Sun) and Galaxies
Stars and constellations
Absolute vs. Apparent Magnitude
Distances to stars using parallax and
light years
Star temperature, composition, and
nuclear fusion
Sun structure and atmosphere
Evolution of Stars
H-R diagrams
Life cycle of our sun
-Types of galaxies including Milky Way
- Big Bang Theory & Expansion of Universe
Revised 2005
SOL
#
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
Resources
Assessments
ES
2a,e
10d
2
Glencoe Chapter 14
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Worksheets,
Quiz, Chapter
Test
ES
1b-c,
2d, 3b,
4c,
14a-b
4
Glencoe Chapter 25
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Discovery School
Videos
Worksheets,
Quiz,
Chapter Test
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written Curriculum)
5
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grading Period
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
Unit/SOLs
4 days

Solar System
Two models: heliocentric and geocentric
Kepler’s contributions to astronomy
Formation of the Solar System
Characteristics of Inner Planets
Characteristics of Outer Planets
Order of Planets
Comets, Asteroids, Meteoroids
4 days

Earth
characteristics including shape, rotation,
revolution
cause of seasons: equinoxes and
solstices
Earth’s moon
Rotation/revolution
Phases
Eclipses: solar and lunar
Structure
Origin: Impact Theory
Projects Mercury, Gemini, Apollo
Space probes, satellites, shuttles
4 days

Earth’s Atmosphere
Composition
Layers of Atmosphere
Pressure and temperature differences
The ozone layer
Energy transfer and budget:
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
The Water Cycle
Wind Formation, Systems, Daily Winds
Revised 2005
SOL
#
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
Resources
Assessments
ES
4c,14b
4
Glencoe Chapter 24
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review,
Discovery School Videos
Worksheets,
Quiz, Chapter Test
ES
4a-c,
14a-b
4
Glencoe Chapters 22-23
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Chapter Test
Worksheet
Quiz
ES
1c,
4b,c
12a-e
13b,d
3
Glencoe Chapter 15
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Chapter Test
Quiz
Land/Water Heating
Rates Lab using
Vernier Probeware
Worksheet
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written
Curriculum)
6
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grading Period
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
4 days
2-3 days
Unit/SOLs

Weather
Factors of weather (humidity, pressure,
temp) and instruments used to measure
Cloud formation and classification
Types of precipitation
Classify air masses affecting U.S.
Four types of fronts
Isobars and Isotherms
Severe weather: Thunderstorms,
Tornadoes, and Hurricanes
Station Models and weather maps
Weather Modification

Climate
Difference between weather and climate
Factors affecting climate
Climate Classifcation (Koppen)
Climate Zones
Adaptation to climate
Climatic Changes
Seasons
El Nino
Greenhouse Effect
Global Warming
Effect of Human Activities on Climate

Oceans
Composition and origin
Salinity, Temperature, and Density
Upwelling and Density Currents
Surface Currents
Waves: structure, movement, cause
Tides: cause, spring tides, neap tide
Revised 2005
SOL
#
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
Resources
Semester
Assessments
ES
1a
2a
3a
4b
11c,
13a-d
3
Chapter 16
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Internet
Discovery School Video
Chapter Test
Quiz
Weather Collection
Lab (teacher made)
Worksheets
ES
11c,
12d,
13d
3
Glencoe Chapter 17
Study Guide,
Reinforcment,
Chapter Review
Chapter Test
Quiz
Worksheet
ES
1c,
2a
3a-d,
4b
11a-e
3
Glencoe Chapter 18,19
Study Guide,
Reinforcement,
Chapter Review
Discovery School Videos
Chapter Test
Vocabulary Quiz
Worksheets
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written
Curriculum)
7
2005-2006 Pittsylvania County Schools Curriculum Pacing Guide
Grading Period
Grade/Course Earth Science
Time
Frame
Unit/SOLs

The Seafloor
- Ocean Basin Features
- Ocean Floor Resources
- Life in the Ocean
- Chemical and Biological
Processes in the ocean
- Ocean Pollution
SOL
#
ES
1c,2a,
3ad,
4b,
11a-e
Strand
1,2,3 or
4*
Resources
Assessments
Curriculum Map (Documentation
of/Adjustments to the Written
Curriculum)
3
TRG refers to the Virginia SOL Teacher Resource Guide; CG refers to the Pittsylvania Co. School Division Curriculum Guide
*(1) Scientific Investigation (2) Geology (3) Meteorology, Oceanography and Groundwater (4) Astronomy
Revised 2005
8